It is difficult to negotiate more money for your car accident injury claim. It’s difficult because you will have to deal with an experienced negotiator, the auto claims adjuster.
You can increase your personal injury settlements with these 5 key negotiation strategies.
You should first do…
1. Calculate Your Minimum Car Accident Injury Settlement
Before you start negotiating with an auto insurance adjuster, you need to determine the minimum settlement offer that you are willing to accept. This information should be kept private and not shared with the auto insurance adjuster.
You should always know your bottom line number before you start negotiating with someone. An adjuster can’t bully you or force you to make a decision. A minimum amount will stop you from making an impulsive decision that may lead to regret.
This doesn’t mean that you should accept the lowest settlement amount. You should not accept a low settlement amount for car accident injuries.
2. Never accept the first auto accident settlement offer
The auto insurance adjusters are known for giving the lowest possible settlement offer to car accident victims first. To see how you react, the adjusters will offer a low settlement. They want to know how desperate you are to settle your claim quickly.
The first offer is not necessarily the last. The insurance companies are trying to get you as little money as possible. Many people accept the lowest offer because they don’t know about these negotiation techniques. Unaware that there was still more money to be made.
Ask yourself this question If you receive an offer from your insurance company: Is the settlement offer unreasonable?
If you feel that the offer for car accident settlement is too low, ….
3. For the Low Settlement, Request an explanation
The auto insurance adjuster will assess your determination to negotiate a higher settlement if you receive a low settlement for auto accident claims. If this happens, it is a good idea to ask the claims adjuster why they gave you such a low settlement.
If the adjuster’s explanation isn’t clear (ex. he/she didn’t prove you were at fault for the accident, or that your injuries aren’t severe), then it’s a joke. They should be refused.
You may need to adjust your settlement demand slightly
4. Gradually decrease your settlement
During negotiations, you will need to reduce your initial settlement demand at various points in order to move on. You can lower your settlement by 10% to 20%. This range is acceptable because it’s not significantly less than your original demand. It also shows that you are open to negotiation.
The adjuster will keep lowering your settlement. It is best to reduce your demand in small increments. This will protect you and help move the negotiations along.
You should also know that.
5. Avoid Over Reducing Your Settlement Demand
The adjuster will attempt to lower your initial demand as you negotiate your car accident injury claim. Negotiations work only if both sides are open to changing their initial personal injury settlement demands.
It is important to wait for the adjuster to offer a better settlement if you have a lower claim. Until the adjuster offers you a higher settlement, you should not lower your car accident claim.
Your claim will look weak if you continue to reduce your settlement demand while waiting for a better offer. It will appear that you are just guessing at the value of your claim. Your claim will be pushed down by the insurance adjuster until you accept a low settlement.